Friday, August 26, 2005

National's three-way flip-flop over forestry policy is an amusing gaffe. But in addition to showing that National is not ready for government, it has also exposed another case of Don Brash talking out of both sides of his mouth. Labour has pointed out that Brash spent three days touring the West Coast last year "telling everyone who would listen he would reopen logging on the Coast":

"Brash's comments were widely reported in the West Coast media last year as a vow," Mr Carter said.

"In the Greymouth Evening Star he was reported as telling one meeting in Westport: If we can do sustainable logging and keep the unique environment of the West Coast, we will.

"The paper also heard National's environment spokesman Nick Smith say exactly the same thing at another meeting in Greymouth, whilst standing next to Don Brash.

This once again pushes the question of Brash's and National's credibility to the fore. And I think here that the answer is clear: you can't trust them on conservation. You can't trust them on health. You can't trust them on foreign affairs. And you can't trust them on the anti-nuclear policy. In short, you can't trust them - which seems to be an entirely sensible response to a party whose leader believes in a moral obligation to lie.